Russia targeting ‘well known groups’ and not just Islamic State with Syria airstrikes

Russia’s airstrikes in Syria are targeting other terrorist groups as well as Islamic State militants, according to a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russia carried out its first airstrikes in Syria on Wednesday. Moscow insisted it was targeting IS militants while US officials and others cast doubt on the claim, saying they appeared to be attacking opposition groups fighting Syrian government forces.

Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia is targeting IS militants and other “well-known” groups.

Asked whether Russia is choosing its own targets or following the instructions of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Mr Peskov said the targets were chosen “in coordination” with the Syrian army.

The Russian defence ministry said Russia had carried out 20 airstrikes.

Sergei Ivanov, Mr Putin’s chief of staff, said on Wednesday that “the operation’s target is solely air support for the Syrian government forces in their fight against the ISIS”.

Speaking later in the day, Mr Putin said Russia would be fighting “gangs of international terrorists” and then went on to talk about IS.

Asked whether Mr Putin was satisfied with the way the Russian campaign was going, Mr Peskov said it was “too early” to say.

Speaking in Paris, Russian ambassador to France Alexander Orlov insisted that Russian warplanes in Syria were bombing the same extremists targeted by the United States and contradicted US criticism that its military failed to coordinate the airstrikes, describing the allegations as a “war of disinformation”.

While Moscow gave no specific locations Mr Orlov said the targets were installations for Islamic State and the Nusra Front, al-Qaida’s affiliate in Syria, “two terrorist organisations recognized as such”.

The US and Russia agree on the need to fight the Islamic State but not about what to do with President Bashar Assad. The Syrian civil war, which grew out of an uprising against Mr Assad, has killed more than 250,000 people since March 2011 and sent millions of refugees fleeing to other countries in the Middle East and Europe.

Mr Orlov said Russian officials warned the Americans “via confidential channels” of where they planned to strike. He also noted a coordination centre was being set up in Baghdad that would include Syrians, Iraqis, Iranians and Russians – and any other country that wants to participate.

Khaled Khoja, head of the Syrian National Council opposition group, said at the UN that Russian airstrikes in four areas, including Talbiseh, killed 36 civilians, with five children among the dead.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it fully supports Russian airstrikes against “terrorist groups” in Syria.